Chapter 179: The Twins

After Ho-cheol and the girl disappeared beyond the wall, the lab chief, who had lost both his arms, twisted his body this way and that, propping himself up with his forehead on the ground, and somehow managed to get up.

I will surely make them regret not confirming the kill.

He burned with a desire for revenge.

And next to him, the executive, no, the traitor, squatted down.

“Haha. The way you’re crawling on the floor with both your arms cut off, you look just like a caterpillar. It’s very cute.”

At the blatant mockery, the lab chief's expression crumpled.

Somehow, he rubbed his head on the floor and raised his upper body, and shouted desperately, as if he were about to vomit blood.

“Why on earth!”

They were competitors who had split due to a difference of opinion, but they were not enemies, not foes.

In fact, they were colleagues who could rely on each other in a harsh situation where no one outside could understand their great cause.

Yet the executive laughed awkwardly as if the atmosphere was awkward and scratched his cheek.

“The monster's transcendence side was taken down much faster than I thought. I was hoping they would buy us at least 3 months, but they couldn't even last a month.”

Of course, the biggest reason was the resurrection transcendence faction, which had revealed the concept of transcendence and their own identity to Ho-cheol, but in the first place, this was just a blueprint of the big picture they had drawn.

If anything was unexpected, it was that he had not guessed that the other two factions would collapse so easily.

“Good grief. I’m very disappointed in him, and in you. Or was it just that this side was too strong?”

In fact, the executive knew all about the relationship between the monster transcendence faction and Black Oskopf.

He just hadn't told Ho-cheol to buy more time.

Nevertheless, Ho-cheol had achieved his goal by any means necessary.

The way Ho-cheol dealt with his enemies had led to a method and a result that they could not have foreseen at all.

Originally, a battle between an individual and a group was a matter of consuming a lot of mental energy and time, even if the individual had overwhelming capabilities.

But Ho-cheol, no matter how large the enemy was, had pulled out only a few of the key figures and connected it to a battle between individuals.

And so, he achieved his goal through a localized battle and then left.

Naturally, the organization, which was intact on the outside, was so busy with the aftermath that they could not immediately pursue Ho-cheol.

Most importantly, since the others within who had escaped being his target would be trying to create a new power structure, that group would lose its original color and change completely.

“The good thing is, if this place had been completely cleaned out, it would have been our turn next. But I, with my innate negotiating skills, have bought us another month.”

At that explanation, the lab chief was horrified.

“F-for such a reason?”

“Hmm.”

The executive, looking at the lab chief whose voice was even trembling, thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders.

“Still, since we were on pretty good terms, unlike with the monster transcendence side, I’ll tell you the real reason.”

At the very least, if he heard their reason, wouldn't he understand?

In fact, it didn't matter if he didn't understand.

It was just that his mouth was itching.

People are all like that.

It was human psychology to want to talk about something that others didn't know, and only you did.

With various thoughts, the executive rested his chin on his hand and said.

“We’ve recently obtained some important information about transcendence.”

At that nonchalant declaration, the lab chief's eyes grew wider than ever before.

He, who was so surprised that he had momentarily forgotten the pain of having both his arms cut off, was about to say something, but he just coughed up a handful of blood.

“I know you have a lot of questions, but please bear with it and listen first. This thing called transcendence was not a simple state.”

The executive raised his index finger.

“It wasn't an absolute evaluation, but a relative one. Even if the methods were all different, the end would come together again. In the end, it was a place for only one person. Not a competition of good faith, but a harsh race for only the first place, where you had to push away both the one in front and the one behind. This was the transcendence we were truly pursuing.”

“Such a… to think you’ve reached transcendence.”

“Well, it’s embarrassing to say we’ve reached it. It’s just that we’ve barely discovered it faintly. The good thing is, we’ve confirmed that what we’ve built up so far is in the right direction.”

The lab chief, who had coughed up blood again, his eyes blazed.

“So you’re going to get rid of all the competitors and reach transcendence at your leisure?”

The executive waved his hand and made a joke.

“I’m pursuing transcendence, not trying to achieve it. To be precise, I want to see it up close, more than anyone else.”

Unlike the leaders of the other two factions, who were struggling to achieve transcendence themselves, he knew his own reality and limits well.

Apart from being capable and desperate, transcendence was already something that was only allowed to the chosen one.

“I've chosen the perfect candidate, and I'm satisfied with just paving the way and guiding them a little! And that’s my preference too.”

“Then the object of transcendence you’re going to see is…”

The executive glanced back.

Outside the door, a loud battle was still going on.

That alone was a sufficient answer.

The lab chief ground his teeth.

“You… you will surely…”

Which one was more resentful and burning with a desire for revenge?

It was definitely this traitor, rather than Ho-cheol.

But the executive was still at ease.

“Ah. Why are you like this? Do you think I would have chattered on without any thought or preparation?”

Looking at the chief who was vowing revenge, the executive let out a sneer.

Why did he think he would have a next chance?

He slowly reached out his hand.

His gaunt, white arm and hand were reminiscent of a tree branch in midwinter.

“Of course, I have to clean up neatly.”

The current Ho-cheol is too soft.

To think he would just cut off his arms and let him live.

“Isn’t it the duty of a sidekick to perfectly clean up a hero's clumsy finish?”

Ho-cheol would have been horrified if he had heard, but the executive sincerely thought so.

“But it was fun while it lasted.”

With a final farewell to the pale-faced lab chief, he reached out his hand.

As his hand touched his head, the lab chief's vision turned black.

***

Thud—

The last villain fell, and Ho-cheol let out a long sigh.

“Ssseup. Haa.”

That was tough.

The villains who had fallen around him were by no means easy opponents.

Ho-cheol scratched his cheek with his blood-soaked hand, looking puzzled.

“There were quite a few top-tier A-ranks and S-rank wannabes, but they sure listened well.”

Ho-cheol knew more about the ecology of villains than anyone else.

In their eyes, there was not even a fragment of loyalty.

They were all guys who would have run away a long time ago.

“They were trapped here. Just like me.”

The girl who had been standing behind Ho-cheol said, as if spitting out the words.

“Even if it wasn't a bomb in their heart, their lifelines were all held by something similar.”

“Is that so?”

Indeed, if that was the reason, they would have had to do as they were told, even if it was against their will.

As he stepped out of the building, the boy, who had been hiding somewhere, suddenly appeared.

His face brightened as he saw Ho-cheol, and the girl standing behind him.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

“Who’s worried about whom?”

“What about the bomb in your heart?”

“I came out because I’m okay.”

The boy let out a sigh of relief and hugged the girl.

“Thank God. Really, thank God.”

He said, "Thank God," repeatedly, and squeezed his arms tightly.

“How embarrassing.”

The girl grumbled in a gruff tone, but it was just words.

In fact, she was also hugging the boy with teary eyes.

“Wow, what a moving reunion. It brings a tear to my eye.”

From behind, the executive came out of the building, clapping lightly.

He pretended to wipe his dry eyes with the back of his hand, as if moved.

Ho-cheol turned only his head and said to him shortly.

“You can get lost now.”

“Haha. You’re cold. But I’ll do as you say.”

His body, which was backing away, gradually became transparent.

“I hope you will keep your promise. One month.”

Ho-cheol frowned.

I really hate it.

Should I look for an opportunity to backstab him right now?

But as if he had read his inner thoughts, the executive added one more thing.

“Faith and trust. In fact, since we don't abide by the law, isn't that what's most important?”

Ho-cheol clicked his tongue and raised his middle finger.

“Thank you for the positive answer.”

With those words, the executive completely disappeared.

Ho-cheol stared blankly in the direction he had disappeared.

In the end, that Trait was the key to catching him.

With his current abilities, it was impossible to catch a phase shift that crossed into another dimension.

I’ll have to find another way.

He did not overestimate his own strength.

If necessary, he would humbly accept his shortcomings and not shy away from any means or methods.

That attitude and mindset had saved Ho-cheol several times and had led him to where he was now.

This time was no different.

If there was no right answer among what he had in his hand, he would find it, no matter what it took.

Ho-cheol, who had sorted out his future plans, turned back again.

After the moving reunion was over, an awkward time seemed to have come again, and he let out a faint sigh, looking at the twins who had separated at some point.

What should I do with these troublemakers?

“You guys, I…”

Just as he was about to say something.

Grumble—

A loud sound came from the twins' side.

He had wondered which one it was, but since both of their faces turned bright red at the same time, it might have been both of them at the same time.

He let out a hollow laugh.

“First, let’s go get something to eat.”

Well, do you have any favorite food?

When in doubt, meat is always the answer.

***

Wugeok wugeok could there be a more fitting expression?

Ho-cheol was slightly impressed, watching the twins who were relentlessly stuffing food into their mouths.

Originally, even an Augmentation-type awakened one would eat several times more than an ordinary person of the same weight, but the twins were more than that.

They seemed to have eaten twice as much as him already, but their hands were still not resting.

They were even using the grill of the empty table next to them to cook meat without a break.

Most importantly, for Ho-cheol, the twins' reaction was even more surprising than the amount they were eating.

“This is delicious too!”

The girl was not just talking about the meat, but was exclaiming in admiration at how delicious even the side dishes were.

In fact, they were the most valuable test subjects in the research lab.

Of course, they had been careful about what they fed them, and they had only been fed ‘energy blocks’ with perfect nutrition.

The reason they had run away from home in the past was also to find such food.

Of course, more often than not, it was just a pie in the sky because they had no money.

Looking at the girl who was inhaling the meat without even a moment's rest, Ho-cheol said.

“I’m not going to take it from you, so eat slowly.”

“That bastard is taking it from me!”

The girl, whose yukhoe sushi had been taken from the bowl in front of her, pointed her finger, sputtering rice.

Opposite her, the boy was chewing his mouth, with a grain of rice on the corner of his mouth.

His reaction was less than the girl's, but the amount he was eating was similar.

“First come, first served.”

It was a conversation on a level that suited their age.

In the end, Ho-cheol called an employee and ordered another plate of the same menu.

And so, after a nearly one-hour-long battle-like meal.

The girl lifted her shirt slightly and patted her bulging stomach.

“Ha. My stomach is totally ttung ttung.”

“Where did you learn such an expression?”

“I heard it while wandering around.”

“Good grief.”

After that, on their way out of the restaurant, the twins' gaze was fixed on the candy basket in front of the counter.

He took out another 10,000 won bill from his wallet and held it out.

“I’ll give you 10,000 won, so these guys can have some.”

When he held out the money while looking at the candy, the owner looked back and forth between the twins and the candy and smiled.

“You can just take them.”

Just now, only 3 people had eaten several servings.

He could give them as many cheap candies as they wanted.

“Then thank you.”

Ho-cheol took the whole basket and turned it upside down.

The twins cheered as they caught the pouring candies with both hands.

They didn't care about the flavor and unwrapped a few and popped them into their mouths.

After that, they went into a nearby clothing store.

They found clothes that fit and changed from head to toe.

They were just ordinary ready-made clothes, but at least they were much neater than the shabby clothes they had been wearing.

The boy stared blankly at his reflection in the full-length mirror, and the girl pulled at her sleeves and neckline and sniffed.

As if she liked it, the corners of her mouth repeatedly rose and fell.

After leaving the store, the boy's expression suddenly darkened.

Now that his life was saved and his stomach was full, he was finally worried about what would happen in the future.

He asked Ho-cheol.

“What will happen to us?”

“What do you want to do?”

Ho-cheol threw the question back.

Of course, they were kids who needed protection, but they were not so completely naive that he could make a decision without even hearing their opinion.

In fact, in terms of their depth of thought, they were probably older than their peers, and even adults.

The boy thought for a moment and answered.

“……I don’t know.”

The good thing was, their sins were not that great.

Enough for Ho-cheol to cover them.

But he couldn't just irresponsibly release them into society.

Entrusting them to the Association was a more foolish act than neglect.

Those greedy vested interests might even subject the twins to harsher human experiments than the previous research lab.

In fact, he had a place in mind.

A facility that Ho-cheol could fully trust and entrust them to.

He had verified it with his own two eyes.

In fact, even if that wasn't the case, Smiley had entrusted her only family to it.

That alone was enough grounds to earn Ho-cheol's trust.

“If you guys want, I can help you. I can protect you too.”

Ho-cheol squatted down and met their eyes.

“So what will you do?”

But the important thing was the twins' will.

To help them against their will was, in a broad sense, no different from the madmen at the previous research lab.

While the boy was thinking, the girl smacked the back of his head.

Thwack—

“What are you thinking about, you idiot. You should be begging for help.”

“Ah, well. That’s true, but I’m sorry.”

The boy discreetly glanced at Ho-cheol and then bowed his head.

“Please help us.”

“I told you before. That’s why I came.”

That was all from the beginning.

Ho-cheol stood up again.

“By the way, do you guys have names?”

“No.”

“We were just test subjects 1 and 2. We had a code too, but I don’t even want to say it.”

Alpha and Beta.

That was what the research lab called them, and the twins hated that name.

“Then do you have any names in mind?”

“Yes!”

The girl shouted as if she had been waiting.

“He’s Dowon. I’m Hwayeon!”

“What.”

Ho-cheol blinked his eyes, slightly surprised.

“Those are good names.”

It was a good thing, because he would have been in a lot of trouble if she had asked him to name them.

“But there’s one place I need to stop by.”

Ho-cheol turned around.

At the end of his gaze, a huge building was soaring high into the sky.

The Hero Association Headquarters.

“Those spiteful old farts will be foaming at the mouth again.”

What should I do?

Muttering as if in trouble, Ho-cheol leisurely walked towards the Association's headquarters.